"Third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has been viewed as a Robinson clone. Powerful but not explosive. Kliff Kingsbury seems to prefer runners who can make lightning cuts, make defenders miss, and break big plays. The Kentucky product has been viewed as more of a straight-ahead power back. Croskey-Merritt began the year backing up veteran Austin Ekeler, with reliable all-purpose veteran Jeremy McNichols rounding out the running back room."
"Rodriguez was essentially an afterthought, being a healthy scratch over the opening games. That has been Rodriguez's position ever since arriving in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. He had bounced up and down from the practice squad to the main roster, and that looked to be his destiny at the beginning of 2025. But Rodriguez has proven to be very resilient."
Chris Rodriguez Jr. entered the season viewed as a straight-ahead, powerful runner rather than an explosive playmaker. A rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt generated early hype, prompting the trade of Brian Robinson Jr. and pushing Rodriguez into a peripheral role that included practice-squad stints and healthy scratches. Injuries to Austin Ekeler and a midseason decline from Croskey-Merritt created opportunities for Rodriguez to start several games. Rodriguez has shown resilience, seized playing time, and delivered effective performances, shifting the backfield pecking order and positioning himself as a potential breakout option with six games remaining in the campaign.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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